US HOSTAGE RELEASED!

Nigeria militants free US hostage

Militants allowed Mr Hawkins to talk to reporters last FridayOne of the nine foreign oil workers being held hostage by militants in southern Nigeria has been released. Macon Hawkins, a US citizen, was handed over to journalists who met militants on a river in the Niger Delta. Mr Hawkins, 69, said it felt great to be free. He said the other eight hostages were in good health and he was hopeful they would be released soon.

The militants have been demanding a greater share of the region's oil wealth for local Ijaw people. Their attacks have led to a 20% drop in Nigeria's oil exports. The handover took place in the western Niger Delta. Armed with machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the militants appeared out of the mango creeks to deliver Mr Hawkins.

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The militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said they were releasing Mr Hawkins - who turned 69 on Wednesday - for humanitarian reasons. "He was released on account of his age and poor health with a stern warning not to return to the Niger Delta unless as a visitor," a statement by the Mend said. "No ransom for him or any other hostage has been demanded or received," the statement said.

Mr Hawkins, who suffers from diabetes, is now being handed over to US officials in Nigeria. The nine hostages - three Americans, two Thais, two Egyptians, a Briton and a Filipino - are all employees of US oil services company Willbros. They were seized on a boat on 18 February while laying a pipeline for Shell.

BBC NEWS REPORT.us